Chapter 183 - 141: Super Sharpshooter

Chapter 183: Chapter 141: Super Sharpshooter"Swordsman Ling is being too modest," Ji Xinghuo said calmly, his face not displaying the typical arrogance of a victor. "I merely had better weapons." As soon as he said this, all the swordsmen turned their eyes to the Demon Sound. Indeed, some people were thinking just that. Ji Xinghuo had deliberately showcased the power of the Demon Sound, yet he hadn’t used the Star Force in combat, firstly because he didn’t want to reveal too much of his ability and secondly to give Ling Yufei a way out. After all, they were colleagues at the Sword Bureau, and he still had to learn espionage and firearms from her, so he couldn’t afford to sour their relationship. Sure enough, Ling Yufei’s expression relaxed a bit, but she still seemed somewhat disheartened. She had always believed she was ready for the Sky Ladder, but facing the one in the last position had resulted in a disappointing defeat. A swordsman nearby asked, "Are all the Mutants on the Sky Ladder this formidable?" Many shared a similar curiosity. If Ji Xinghuo, merely the last on the Sky Ladder, was this strong, it was hard to imagine what the strength of the top hundred would be? The Sword Captain, initially harboring some animosity towards Ji Xinghuo and wanting to defend Yan Xiao, had now abandoned such thoughts. With Ji Xinghuo’s capability, he was more than qualified to be a Chi Xiao Knight. Of course, some realized that Ji Xinghuo’s true strength was far beyond just the last place. The ranking on the Sky Ladder couldn’t completely measure a Mutant’s strength. Zhou Yishang understood this, but without revealing it openly, he said aloud, "Let’s disperse, continue with your training." "Yes," they responded. The swordsmen dispersed individually. Zhou Yishang gave a slight nod to Ji Xinghuo, then also led his people away. Min Chongwu approached, bursting with enthusiasm, "Boy, your strength has improved too fast! Watching you duel with Yufei, I’m feeling itchy too, how about we have a match?" "Not interested," Ji Xinghuo replied instinctively, glancing at his bald head. "I still have a lesson with Swordsman Ling." Halo Fighters were a very tricky occupation to deal with. Most importantly, fighting with Min Chongwu held no benefits; defeating Ling Yufei was already enough to earn respect at the Sword Bureau. "You can’t be in class all day, right?" Min Chongwu persisted, a typical martial fanatic, eager to test his skills against strong rivals. "We’ll see how it goes in the future." Ji Xinghuo tactfully declined, then looked towards Ling Yufei, "Swordsman Ling, when do we start?" "Just call me Yufei, come with me." Ling Yufei was still nursing a headache but it didn’t hinder her communication. When she saw Min Chongwu following them, she said irritably, "What are you doing following us? Do you want to retake the firearms class?" Min Chongwu touched his head, chuckling, "Heh, I guess that wouldn’t be a problem." His smile was somewhat lecherous. Ling Yufei scorned, "Rascal." "How can you falsely accuse someone?" Min Chongwu said earnestly. "The chief instructed me earlier to guide Ji Xinghuo more, to include him in missions and it’s perfect since you’re teaching him. This way I can spot any gaps and practice my marksmanship too." Ling Yufei couldn’t refuse, so she simply ignored him. Ji Xinghuo, listening to their exchange, instantly guessed there was some history between them, but he had little interest in other people’s gossip. The trio arrived at a shooting range within the base. "Chongwu can teach you about espionage," Ling Yufei said. "We’ll start with firearms today." She pressed a button on the wall. The metal wall at this end of the range slid open, revealing layers of weapon racks filled with firearms, neatly categorized into electromagnetic rifles, gauss guns, laser guns, machine guns, shotguns, sniper rifles, etc., with various models and modified gun types, totaling over two hundred firearms and even more accessories. Besides the firearms, there were various types of explosives, each neatly arranged on the racks, a dazzling array, practically an armory. No, this was an armory! Ji Xinghuo had never handled real firearms before, only played shooter games, therefore he could recognize only a few classic gun types. "You can look around or even try one out," Ling Yufei said. "Alright." Ji Xinghuo immediately noticed an electromagnetic rifle on the rack, the Avenger-17, its silver-black body reflecting a metallic luster. The barrel was long and rectangular with two rails arranged one above the other, its design somewhat similar to gunpowder firearms from two centuries ago, a very classic model. As the first electromagnetic rifle to appear on Earth, born in 2045, its name signified revenge against the Beiluo Shimen Clan. The emergence of the Avenger marked the complete phase-out of gunpowder firearms. In the decades that followed, this electromagnetic rifle underwent several improvements, ultimately resulting in the highly stable performance and power of the Avenger-17 model. Countries based on the original design developed hundreds of modified gun types. However, the Avenger-17 was the most well-known model, produced in the largest numbers, appearing in countless games, movies, and novels. It was virtually the prototype for all electromagnetic rifles. Ji Xinghuo had used this gun in games, but handling it in reality felt very different. The grip had a fingerprint scanner, and it unlocked immediately when his hand settled on it. The small screen on the stock facing him displayed current battery levels, bullet types and numbers, and the condition of the gun body, all crystal clear. Ji Xinghuo stepped up to the firing position, unlocked the safety, and switched to single shot mode. He fired at a target a hundred meters away. Bang! A soft sound, not very loud, much quieter than the noise of early firearms, made the alloy target tremble. Sёarᴄh the NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Ten rings." The shooting range’s assist system issued a prompt. Ji Xinghuo carefully felt this shot. The Avenger-17 felt great in his hands, almost a meter long, weighing about 6 kilograms, neither light nor heavy, with very stable recoil. The principle of the electromagnetic rifle is the same as that of an electromagnetic railgun, instantly generating a huge current. The two rails and the bullet form a current circuit, driving the bullet using the Ampere force produced by the current, and shooting it out. Every shot consumed electricity. Therefore, an electromagnetic rifle requires both a magazine and a battery. "The power is huge!" Ji Xinghuo looked at the mark on the alloy target. With his perception abilities, he couldn’t catch the trajectory of the bullet. The initial velocity of the Avenger-17’s bullet exceeded 2000 meters per second! If this shot hit him, he would certainly be severely injured, and if it hit vital areas like the head or throat, Ji Xinghuo dared not say he could survive. He fired a few shots in burst mode, all hitting the ten rings. The bullets of the electromagnetic rifle were cylindrical arrowheads, about two centimeters long, with fins at the end, weighing just over twenty grams. Due to their small size, a magazine of an electromagnetic rifle could hold 120 bullets, maintaining firepower for 20 seconds in burst mode. Ji Xinghuo switched to burst mode and held down the trigger. The gunfire roared, and the current howled. Bullet after bullet, made of full metal, shot out at a speed invisible to the naked eye, striking the target a hundred meters away, scattering metal fragments, making the entire range tremble lightly. Bang bang bang bang... Ji Xinghuo emptied the magazine in one breath. 15% of the electromagnetic rifle’s battery was drained, the barrel and rails glowed red, and he felt heat on the handle. A dent appeared in the center of the hard alloy target. Ling Yufei and Min Chongwu were stunned. Ji Xinghuo, clearly a novice with firearms, had many errors in his shooting posture, far from standard, yet every shot hit the bullseye. Out of the whole magazine of 120 bullets, not one missed. Even sharpshooters couldn’t do better! Ling Yufei shook her head, thinking of the archery skills Ji Xinghuo demonstrated in the Spirit Realm World, she could understand. Any qualified Ranger possesses the potential of a sharpshooter. Especially someone as skilled as Ji Xinghuo. "Awesome!" Ji Xinghuo, unaware of their thoughts, turned around and smiled, "This thing is much easier to use than a bow and arrow." The barrier to entry for archery is too high; it takes a long time to be battle-ready, and in terms of range, precision, or power, it’s outclassed by the electromagnetic rifle. If electronic devices could be used in the Star Realm, nobody would bother with such ancient weapons as bows and arrows. The power of an electromagnetic rifle is comparable to a One Star Superpower bow. However, the effective lethal range of the electromagnetic rifle could reach a thousand meters, and it could fire just by pulling the trigger, easy to master with a bit of training. The key is that electromagnetic rifles are cheap! The price of an electromagnetic rifle is just over twenty thousand Ya Yuan, while the cheapest One Star Superpower bow costs at least two to three million. Suddenly, Ji Xinghuo felt that his Invisible Stab wasn’t so attractive anymore. Next, he tried shooting other firearms. Gauss guns also use electricity for firing, but their principle is slightly different from electromagnetic rifles. A series of acceleration coils are wound around the barrel of a Gauss gun. When the coils pass through a strong current, the generated magnetic force propels the bullet. The two types of firearms had their merits, representing two different design philosophies. Laser guns, on the other hand, were a completely different type of firearm, firing a high-temperature laser with strong penetration power. Their biggest feature was the absence of recoil, providing the highest shooting accuracy, but they had a shorter range because the laser would scatter. The plasma gun was the most powerful. This was a plasma weapon, launching a ball of high-temperature plasma at the target, with a large lethality radius, capable of instantly destroying an armored tank. Ji Xinghuo was startled when he fired it. With his current defense power, it would be difficult to survive if hit by a plasma gun. However, the plasma gun had its drawbacks: slow firing rate, short range, inconvenient portability, and a propensity for malfunctions. Ji Xinghuo spent a few hours and tested dozens of firearms. For every firearm he tested, Ling Yufei explained the advantages, disadvantages, and features of the gun, as well as its suitable scenarios, best methods of use, applications in different environments, maintenance, repairs, including the manufacturing company and development history of the gun. Ji Xinghuo listened very attentively, secretly admiring Ling Yufei’s knowledge of firearms. No wonder she was a top firearms master in the Sword Bureau! Sometimes, Min Chongwu also picked up firearms to test fire, but compared to Ji Xinghuo’s accuracy, he often missed and even shot completely off target. And Ji Xinghuo, whether familiar with firearms or not, always hit ten rings. The course went on until noon. As it neared break time, Ling Yufei said, "Chi Xiao Knights have a gun carrying permit, which allows them to carry a firearm and be provided with ammunition. Xinghuo, you can choose one to take with you, and I’ll help you with registration later." Ji Xinghuo hardly hesitated, pointing to a gun on the rack, he said, "I choose this one."